5 Joyful Yoga Poses for Beginners at Home

Yoga is a combination of spiritual, physical and mental activities and disciplines. Its origins are dated back to pre-Vedic India and its development to the fifth or sixth century BCE.

In the Occidental areas yoga started to be recognized in the late 19^th century, early 20^th century and reached a huge popularity in the 1980s.

In its most literal sense, “yoga” means “to unite”, “to join” or “to attach”. It literally represents the union between the individual, its own body, spirit and surroundings.

Liberation is yoga’s final objective, however, it is increasingly advocated as a source of relaxation, stress reducer and even as a huge help in reducing premenstrual syndrome symptoms.

Hatha yoga is a type of yoga which focuses on physical and mental strength building exercises and postures.

According to your needs, yoga can help you to reduce anxiety or just boost up your moral. You just need to find the perfect positions!

Here are some easy joyful yoga positions which will help you reduce anxiety, fatigue and boost both moral and physical energy.

Bridge Pose

Instructions

1. While lying on your back, bend your knees and place feet flat on the floor keeping hips wide apart. Slide arms alongside the body, facing your palms to the ground and lightly touching your heels with your fingertips;
2. Press feet into the floor, inhale and lift your hips slowly, continuing to lift your spine in a rolling motion, one vertebra at a time. Make sure you keep your knees and hips wide apart.
3. Press into arms and shoulders to lift chest and engage legs and buttocks to lift hips higher;
4. Hold for 4 to 8 breaths
5. Release on an exhale and slowly lower your back, rolling your spine and touching the ground with one vertebra at a time.

Eagle Pose

Instructions

1. While standing on your feet keep your hands at sides;
2. Bend your knees and balance on the right foot. Cross the lift foot tight over the right one and then hook top of the left foot behind right calf;
3. Balance for one breath;
4. Extend your arms straight in front of your body and lower your left arm under the right one;
5. Bend elbows and raise forearms perpendicular to the floor. Spiral your hands and arms, squeezing palms together;
6. Square hips and chest to front wall and draw belly in and up;
7. Gaze at the tips of thumbs;
8. Hold for up to one minute then gently unwind arms and legs;
9. Repeat on opposite side.

Extended Triangle Pose

Instructions

1. While standing on your feet exhale and spread your legs. Place them 4 feet from each other;
2. Stretch arms out sideways, holding your palms facing the ground;
3. Turn right foot out at a 90-degree angle;
4. Turn left foot in toward the right;
5. Stiffen your thighs muscles, turning the right thigh outward;
6. Bend body from hips toward right leg;
7. Twist body to left, making sure both sides remain long;
8. Push left hip slightly forward while lengthening tailbone toward heel;
9. Keep right hand on ankle, shin, or the floor and stretch left arm up towards the sky;
10. Keep head straight or turn it slightly to the left;
11. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Head to Knee Forward Bend

Instructions

1. Begin seated with legs extended;
2. Bend left leg bringing the sole to the upper inside of the right thigh. Make sure you keep your left knee rested on the floor
3. Place both hands on either side of the right leg then inhale, turning toward the extended leg;
4. Exhale and fold forward;
5. Hold for five breaths and repeat on the other side.

Puppy Pose

Instructions

1. Start on all fours with shoulders stacked over wrists, hips stacked over knees and the tops of your feet relaxed down on the mat;
2. Slowly walk hands out, lowering chest toward the ground. Keep your hips over your knees and arms at a shoulder distance apart, gently releasing your forehead to the ground;
3. Press arms down to activate arms. Lift elbows and forearms away from the floor, then bring shoulder blades onto back and reach hips up to toward the ceiling;
4. Relax your neck and breathe into your back while lengthening your spine in both directions.
5. Remain in the pose for 5 to 10 breaths. After that gently lift forehead and walk palms back toward the body, returning to all fours.

We think that, when starting to practice yoga, it is crucial that you truly enjoy every aspect of it. This helps you create a harmony between your body, spirit and the environment and achieve yoga’s targeted balance.

Don’t be afraid to use tricks that help you get the most out of the pose:

Don’t forget, if a session of joyful yoga poses does not put a smile on your face then, well, start again.